Guard for railway tracks and switches



(No Model.)

M. RILEY. GUARD POR RAILWAY 4TRACKS AND SWITCHES.

No. 484,461. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL RILEY, OF LONDON, OI-IIO.

GUARD FOR RAILWAY TRACKS ANDSWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,461, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed April 9, 1892. Serial No. 428,539. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it maylconceirn:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL RILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at London,

duced by converging rails.

The objects of my invention are to produce a guard of this class ofsuperior construction and arrangement, to so construct the same as toblock the angle formed by converging rails without the necessity ofpermanently securing the guard to said rails, to so construct said guardas to admit of the same being adjusted to fit in angles of differentdegrees, and to produce other improvements which will be morespecifically pointed out hereinafter. These objects Iaccomplish in themanner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aplan view of a railway-frog, showing my improved guards in connectiontherewith. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of my improved guards shown inconnection with the rails and showing the end pieces of the guard-platesbroken away for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a partial end view andpartial transverse section of one of my improved guards, the sectionbeing taken through the plate-connecting spring. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof a portion of the railwayrail and guard-rail with my improved guardsintervening. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the filling-piece which I employbetween two parallel sections of the rails. Fig. 6 is an under side viewof one of myimproved guards, showing a modification in the manner ofconnecting the same; and Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one of saidguards.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a represents the body of my improved guard, which, as shown, is formedof two sections, (indicated at a a2.) Each of these sections ispreferably formed of comparatively-thin plate or bar metal and consistsof an oblong plate having a top, side, and one end piece, which aresubstantially at right angles with each other. As shown in the drawings,the top piece or upper plate of the section d2 overlaps thecorresponding top plate of the section a', said overlapping top platesbeing pivotally connected or hinged at their inner ends by a suitablebolt or rivet b. The outer end of each of the sections a 002 is closedby a downturnedend plate, (indicated at b,) one of said ends beingadapted to telescope or pass within one side of theother.

c represents oppositely-located socket-lugs, one of which projects fromthe inner face of each side piece of the guard-sections a a? near theouter end thereof. These socketlugs form seats or bearings for the endsof a suitable coiled spring d, which serves to form a connection betweenthe guard-sections.

This springd is of such length as to normally spread apart the outerportions of the guardsections, and thus form substantially an an gularguard-body. As shown at d2, each end of the spring CZ is extendedthrough an opening in the guard side. As indicated at e, the lower edgesof each of the side pieces of the guardsections are curved inward.

The guard-body, formed as above described, is adapted, as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings, to be inserted, pivot end first, into the anglesformed by the converging rails f and g. In thus inserting said guardsthe upper sides thereof find a bearing against the under side of thetrack-rail head, while the lower inturned edges of the guard-sectionsbear upon the inclined bases of the rails. From the construction shownitis evident that the tension of the springdwilhwhen said guards aredriven inward, as described, serve to firmly press the side pieces ofthe guard-sections against the webs of the rails, and thus retain theguards in their position. In order to further insure the guards in theirpositions against the rails, I allow the spring extensions d2 to springinto suitable sockets formed in the rail-webs. From this construction itwill readily be seen that the spring-contact of the guards and railswill result in said guard-sections conforming to any movement of therails from IOO whatever cause produced. It will also be seen that thespring-pressure thus imparted to the guard-sections will obviate anynecessity of forming aconnection between said sections and rails.

If desired to produce a rigid and adjustable connection between theguards and rails, I may, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, substitutefor the spring d an adjusting-screw or double-screw bolt c', the ends ofwhich are provided, respectively, with right and left hand threads whichengage with the internal `threads of nut projections @"2 on the innersides of the guard-sections. It is evident that in the use of thescrew-bolt said sections of` nected by transverse springs fm', the `endsof which bear in suitable socket-pieces m2, which project from the innersides of the sections of the filling-piece m.

As shown at n, I may provide in each of the top plates of theguard-sections an opening, said openings admitting of the engagementtherewith of any desired tool for drawing together the guard-sectionsand admitting of the ready Withdrawal of the guards from therail-angles.

It will be evident from the construction shown and described that aneat, eective,

.and durable guard is formed,which may be MICHAEL RILEY.

In presence of- THos. S. GATES, EMILY E. BRAGG.

